The South Dakota State football team wrapped up its nonconference slate with a dominant 41-0 victory over Southeastern Louisiana Saturday.
The Jackrabbits improved to 3-1 on the season with the help of a breakout day from redshirt freshman running back Kirby Vorhees.
Vorhees had just five carries in the victory, but each rush was electric, tallying a total of 179 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
“Credit to him. This is how he runs, really a violent runner and we’d seen it during Fall camp. We talked about him last spring and it’s good for you guys to kind of see now what we’ve been talking about,” said SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers.
SLU received the opening kickoff, but it was the Jacks who would make the first statement in what was a long night for the Lions offense. After a three-and-out to open the game, senior defensive back Dalys Beanum returned the SLU punt 88 yards for the first score of the game.
“That’s just Dalys,” said senior Safety Colby Huerter on the punt return touchdown. “We’ve got a bunch of guys that we can rely on and they’re going to make plays. It was more of the fact that we knew this was going to happen, and we knew he was going to do what he was going to do. But it was a great start to the game.”
On top of Beanum’s punt return, Huerter tallied an interception to the end of the opening quarter of play.
Despite the dominant performance put on by the Jackrabbit defense, who allowed just 186 yards on the night, the Yellow and Blue offense struggled to find a rhythm early on, punting on each of its first three drives.
Midway through the second quarter, the Jacks found themselves in a short field and a chance to increase the lead, eventually punching it in from 20 yards out on Vorhees’ first carry of the game.
Following the Vorhees’ score the Lions reached the SDSU side of the field and set up one of two field goal attempts for kicker Riley Callaghan, but neither found their way through the uprights in SLU’s only chance for points on the night.
Both teams would trade interceptions with Gronowski tossing one to SLU linebacker Donte’ Daniels, followed by SLU quarterback throwing a pick on a tipped pass into the hands of defensive back Steven Arrell that set up another scoring drive for the Jacks just before halftime.
And just eight plays later, on Vorhees’ second carry of the game, he’d score again, breaking numerous tackles from 22 yards out.
“(Robbie) Rouse puts me in a lot of positions in practice to make plays, and it almost became second nature today,” said Vorhees. “I could just thank my O-line. My o-line does so much for me, to help me break those tackles and get to the space where I can make those plays.”
It was halftime and the Jacks were up 20-0 despite holding the ball for less than 10 minutes in the first 30, an unfamiliar brand of Jackrabbit football. That trend would continue as SDSU’s three second-half scoring drives all took place in four minutes or less, starting with the Vorhees’ hat trick.
“It was team football. Special teams, defense, offense. We all had our moments, we’re very consistent,” said head coach Rogers on the different style of victory than usual. “Just going out and competing and doing their job. I think that’s a display of it really.”
After the second missed field goal by SLU, Vorhees took his third carry of the game 80 yards to the house on the first play of the drive.
“That touchdown was crazy,” said Vorhees on the long house call. “I was so excited when that happened. Credit to the O-line again for making those holes.”
Senior running back Amar Johnson continued to show his skills later in the third quarter as well, scoring a 14-yard touchdown before backup quarterback Chase Mason scored the fifth rushing touchdown by a Jackrabbit on the evening with just under five minutes to go in the game, putting the finishing touches on an outstanding night for the SDSU ground game.
The Jackrabbits totaled 341 yards on the ground in the victory, outrushing the Lions by nearly 250 yards. SDSU also averaged 9.5 yards per carry on the evening.
Johnson totaled 65 yards and a score on 11 carries, Chase Mason ran the ball seven times for 56 yards and a score, Gronowski tallied 25 yards on six carries, true freshman Maxwell Woods ran three times for 18 yards, while Brendan Begeman rounded out the rushing attack with 6 yards on two carries.
“It’s going to only get deeper,” said coach Rogers on the depth at running back. “Maxwell Woods is coming on and Angel Johnson is chomping at the bit to get back. There’s going to be some competition in there and it’s a good thing.”
But while the rushing attack for the Jacks was dominant like last week’s victory over Augustana, the passing game was almost nonexistent.
Gronowski finished 7-for-17 on the night with just 65 passing and an interception. Johnson caught three passes for 37 yards, Grahm Goering and Kentrell Prejean each reeled in two receptions for 23 and 13 yards, respectively, while Griffin Wilde had just one catch for 3 yards.
Huerter as well as linebackers Graham Spalding and Adam Bock each racked up seven tackles to lead the defense.
Linebacker Daeton Mcgaughy, defensive end Levi Vanden Bos, as well as defensive tackles Kobe Clayborne and Bryce Hawthorne each tallied sacks in the win as well.
“The guys played with a ton of energy, really focused from start to finish,” said coach Rogers. “I was really happy with whoever came into the game, the expectation and level of play really didn’t change at all.”
Up Next
Following its nonconference schedule, SDSU is on bye this week but will return to start Missouri Valley Conference play Oct. 5 against the Northern Iowa Panthers. Kick-off from Cedar Falls, Iowa is slated for 4 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ or tune in to the Jackrabbit Sports Network.
